Bridal Shower Games - Choosing Successful Ones

Writing bridal shower invites and having the shower itself are perhaps the most fun events a bride to be will have in the last few weeks before her wedding. There are so many stresses from planning the catering, to putting together and completing and bridal invitations list, to all the other responsibilities that the bridal shower is a welcome break. The games are also important for the bride, but also for the guests, and there are many to choose from. If, for instance, it's a fancy party, the centerpiece could be randomly awarded by placing an envelope under a random chair.

One common type of bridal shower games is word games. An example of this is "Finish this Phrase". What phrases or cliches can fit that time of year, the bride, or the guests invited. It is simply starting with something like "A watched pot", and then see who responds with "never boils." Keep track of who gets the most points, and award a prize.

Another entertaining shower game that puts the bride on the spot is the "How Well Do You Know Your Hubby" game. Guests should brainstorm 20 to 30 questions to interrogate the bride about their future groom before the game begins. Nothing is off-limits. You can ask, "What is his favorite dinner?" or something more personal like "Boxers or briefs?" For every incorrect answer, the bride must put another piece of gum in her mouth. If she's got particularly bad luck with this game and gets a lot of wrong answers, she might end up with a wad of gum in her mouth that leaves everyone laughing!

Very famous bridal shower games are the clothes pin games. Everybody gets a few clothes pins and whenever a word is used that is often said a a bridal shower, such as wedding, bride or groom, a pin is removed from the lady who said the word to the one who caught her. Who has most pins at the end, wins.

If you have a very active group that knows most everyone else, then "Rate the Advice" may be a good choice. Have everyone anonymously write down advice about any aspect of the wedding, wedding night, or married life. Have everyone rank each piece of advice on a 1-10 scale, and tally them up. Awards could be given to both the highest ranked woman, and the lowest if you want to include more prizes.

No matter what games are chosen, if they encourage people to talk, joke, and have a good time in general, it will be a success. The bridal shower games can range from simple word games to highly interactive games and icebreakers, and everyone will enjoy them. Perhaps a great closing "game" would be to ask everyone for their best wishes or advice and record a CD or DVD to present at the wedding.

A frequently enjoyed variety of bridal shower games involves wordplay. A popular diversion is called "Finish the Phrase." It uses well known terms, phrases, and sayings, sometimes something particularly appropriate to a wedding or to the party guests. One might start with "Too many cooks" and then wait for someone to respond "spoil the broth." Give a prize to the person who wins the most rounds. After the event, remember to save the bridal invitations for her scrapbook. The bridal shower invites will be a reminder of the theme and tone of the party.

- Debbie L